Boarding time QM2

[njkruzer]

We are looking forward to our first Cunard cruise. Printed out our eticket last night. We are boarding in NY, Brooklyn, and they assigned a boarding time of 1500! No way would I normally arrive for a cruise that late. Do they hold you to that time or could we arrive at noon as we planned? Also note that they don't tell you what time they sail or the cut off time for boarding, which I normally see. Any help is appreciated.

[BklynBoy8]

We are looking forward to our first Cunard cruise. Printed out our eticket last night. We are boarding in NY, Brooklyn, and they assigned a boarding time of 1500! No way would I normally arrive for a cruise that late. Do they hold you to that time or could we arrive at noon as we planned? Also note that they don't tell you what time they sail or the cut off time for boarding, which I normally see. Any help is appreciated.

 

First, Wishing You Bon Voyage! Have a Glass of Champs on Me...lol:champagne-toast:

 

Traditionally barring any weather condition delays, the QM2 Majestically sails into NY Harbor at 5PM. That is just after the mandatory boat drill at 4:30PM. We see the gangway pulled away after the boat drill. But we have seen not that often late comers arrive just too close for comfort..But I know many want to start the cruise as soon as they can board.

 

I do not see any problems arriving at Noon and boarding then. The terminal doors to the gangway are typically opened at Noon when the ship gives the word they are ready for boarding.

[BlueRiband]

There was a similar topic last month:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2521392

I have to strongly disagree with the above. In my last sailing in December the early arrivals screwed up things for everybody. I was in PG, didn't get off the ship until after 10, and passengers were already arriving!

 

It's not logistically possible for 2691 passengers to be on the ship by Noon. Couple that with the delays in disembarkation due to US immigration staffing and early arrivals make traffic around the terminal miserable for everybody. Arriving passengers won't get on the ship any sooner and departing passengers have a difficult time meeting up with their rides because of all the congestion. This is why Cunard uses staggered boarding times - in an attempt to prevent this from happening when too many people overwhelm the local infrastructure.

 

For a 5PM sailing check in cut off is 3:45 PM. If you arrive about 2PM you are more likely be breeze through.

Edited August 26, 2017 by BlueRiband

[BklynBoy8]

There was a similar topic last month:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2521392

 

I have to strongly disagree with the above. In my last sailing in December the early arrivals screwed up things for everybody. I was in PG, didn't get off the ship until after 10, and passengers were already arriving!

 

It's not logistically possible for 2691 passengers to be on the ship by Noon. Couple that with the delays in disembarkation due to US immigration staffing and early arrivals make traffic around the terminal miserable for everybody. Arriving passengers won't get on the ship any sooner and departing passengers have a difficult time meeting up with their rides because of all the congestion. This is why Cunard uses staggered boarding times - in an attempt to prevent this from happening when too many people overwhelm the local infrastructure.

 

For a 5PM sailing check in cut off is 3:45 PM. If you arrive about 2PM you are more likely be breeze through.

 

Unfortunately you can't argue with passengers that have been waiting for that special day to arrive. On our arrival on July 1st early at the terminal, fortunately the terminal handed the crowds well with disembarkation and embarkation arrivals.

 

We always are thankful that the Staff at the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal handle these situations in a professional and skillful manner.

 

Sorry that the start of your sailing was disappointing on arrival..

[njkruzer]

I don't want to schedule a late arrival time coming from NJ. Never know what the traffic will be. We're driving to our friend who is going with us and then have the car service pick the 3 of us up there. I think the drive from her house is about an hour, which is why I think we'll arrive about noon. We'll think about the advice to arrive later but i'd rather sit at the terminal than be nervous if we get stuck in traffic later in the afternoon.

[BlueRiband]

Unfortunately you can't argue with passengers that have been waiting for that special day to arrive....Sorry that the start of your sailing was disappointing on arrival..

 

Actually I was disembarking the ship. And you yourself wrote that you arrived at 10:50 which was right in the middle of disembarkation. As your CC "handle" implies you are local.

 

What is the point of staggered boarding times if everyone can say "This special day has come" and board at any time? The boarding times are there for a practical, logistical reason and not to intentionally just make people wait. So if everyone who is supposed to arrive between 1 and 3 decides to show up at 11, they then write on what a horrible overcrowded embarkation experience it was with the long check in lines and waits in a lounge before boarding.

Edited August 26, 2017 by BlueRiband

[karl_nj]

Actually I was disembarking the ship. And you yourself wrote that you arrived at 10:50 which was right in the middle of disembarkation. As your CC "handle" implies you are local.

 

What is the point of staggered boarding times if everyone can say "This special day has come" and board at any time? The boarding times are there for a practical, logistical reason and not to intentionally just make people wait. So if everyone who is supposed to arrive between 1 and 3 decides to show up at 11, they then write on what a horrible overcrowded embarkation experience it was with the long check in lines and waits in a lounge before boarding.

 

 

 

On the other hand, planning to arrive at 3pm if you are driving a long distance is also a bad idea. It would be quite disappointing to show up at 3:50 and be denied boarding.

 

 

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[BlueRiband]

No argument there. I've seen late arrivals get turned away. I live in New York and once had a 3:30 boarding time when it closed at 3:45. If memory serves I aimed for 2:30 and zoomed right through check in and boarding. But arriving at 11? At best it's hurry up and wait.

[TheOldBear]

We show a 3PM time on the e-ticket. [deck 5]

 

Our current plans are to arrive at the terminal between 1 and 1:30, prepared to wait if necessary [book or kindle in the carry on]. The terminal is plain industrial space - but it is not too bad as waiting rooms go.

[BklynBoy8]

We show a 3PM time on the e-ticket. [deck 5]

Our current plans are to arrive at the terminal between 1 and 1:30, prepared to wait if necessary [book or kindle in the carry on]. The terminal is plain industrial space - but it is not too bad as waiting rooms go.

 

Agree with you.....Starting a cruise is all about the initial approach....Starting off on the right foot and attitude....I've experienced the wrong approach on the line and no place for bad blood.....We'll all be on the same ship to enjoy each others company...

 

Bon Voyage.....

[BklynBoy8]

Actually I was disembarking the ship. And you yourself wrote that you arrived at 10:50 which was right in the middle of disembarkation. As your CC "handle" implies you are local.

 

What is the point of staggered boarding times if everyone can say "This special day has come" and board at any time? The boarding times are there for a practical, logistical reason and not to intentionally just make people wait. So if everyone who is supposed to arrive between 1 and 3 decides to show up at 11, they then write on what a horrible overcrowded embarkation experience it was with the long check in lines and waits in a lounge before boarding.

 

As you said, no argument. But some experience what you did and others may not. Each sailing is unique in itself. I have personally never wrote a negative experience on arrival or departure days. But accept the system setup and appreciate the service we receive.

 

Being local is an advantage but would feel funny telling a car service driver that we'll be too early and take us on an extra ride. We still arrived, checked in and relaxed with already packed VIP lounge and board the same time we were directed.

 

Being a Retired Operational Coordinator, I understand your reasoning of practical and logistical understanding. But there are Seasoned & New Cunarder's that are already set in their ways...

[cruiserdru]

It's lovely that Cunard tries to orchestrate the crowds and is appreciated. However, I, for one, would appreciate it a whole lot more if Cunard gave out the boarding times way earlier. I am not local and I have to fly or take a train to get to NYC. Trains or flights on the day of departure are risky (especially without Cunard officially announcing the boarding/cutoff/departure times far enough in advance for people to plan) so I am traveling the day before and spending the night in a hotel. As most folks know, normal hotel checkout is at noon and it is not the easiest thing to find somewhere to go until your boarding time or to schlep luggage as part of that. Dropping off my luggage and wandering around NYC for a few hours is not high on my list of things to do.

 

So I will go to the terminal when I must leave the hotel and sit and wait patiently for my boarding time - not because I am overly anxious to get on the ship before everybody else but because there are really not a lot of options.

[BlueRiband]

A 10AM check out time is not uncommon. But many hotels will hold luggage for departing guests a few hours after checkout.

 

For those staying in Brooklyn checking out, checking luggage, and enjoying a leisurely breakfast may be a very nice way to start a voyage. Sure beats a quick cup of coffee and sitting in crawling traffic only to wait on plastic chairs.

[Underwatr]

If you arrive for check in at noon (or earlier) you won't be turned away, but you'll arrive during (IMO) peak traffic, so the queue to check in will be longer and after checking in you likely will be invited to have a seat to wait for your number to be called to board. The Brooklyn terminal has a number of chairs but not much more in the way of snacks or drinks (this may have changed since December).

[BklynBoy8]

If you arrive for check in at noon (or earlier) you won't be turned away, but you'll arrive during (IMO) peak traffic, so the queue to check in will be longer and after checking in you likely will be invited to have a seat to wait for your number to be called to board. The Brooklyn terminal has a number of chairs but not much more in the way of snacks or drinks (this may have changed since December).

 

Agree with you.....Closet food and bev would be on Van Brunt or Columbia outside of the terminal gates. No facilities available in the terminal unless in the VIP Lounge.

 

Mine as well stay in the terminal and patiently wait and people watch. Maybe strike up an acquaintance you may eventually see on board.

[abefroman329]

What are your suggestions for a location to cool one's feet prior to boarding if one is, well, scheduled to arrive LGA at 9 am the day of departure? Assuming we actually have the time to kill, we're going to kill some of it by taking a city bus to Jackson Heights and the F train to Carroll Street, but that only kills 60-90 minutes, and we'll be loaded down with luggage.

[frankp01]

The Fairway Market, at the foot of Van Brunt, has a very nice Cafe, with tables looking out over the water. It's a 10-15 minute walk. I'm hoping to be able to drop off our luggage at the terminal, then walk to Fairway to get some snacks for the crossing, and to kill a few hours.

 

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[BlueRiband]

What are your suggestions for a location to cool one's feet prior to boarding if one is, well, scheduled to arrive LGA at 9 am the day of departure? Assuming we actually have the time to kill, we're going to kill some of it by taking a city bus to Jackson Heights and the F train to Carroll Street, but that only kills 60-90 minutes, and we'll be loaded down with luggage.

 

Since you are arriving in New York on the day of departure I can only hope that your flight does indeed go as planned.

 

 

Nobody is telling you what to do but if you arrive at the Brooklyn terminal at 11 you now know what to expect. Cunard will not be allowed to start boarding passengers until US authorities give the go ahead. And US authorities won't give that go ahead until all disembarking passengers are off the ship.

[abefroman329]

The Fairway Market, at the foot of Van Brunt, has a very nice Cafe, with tables looking out over the water. It's a 10-15 minute walk. I'm hoping to be able to drop off our luggage at the terminal, then walk to Fairway to get some snacks for the crossing, and to kill a few hours.

 

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Thanks, that sounds like a nice option.

[Underwatr]

What are your suggestions for a location to cool one's feet prior to boarding if one is, well, scheduled to arrive LGA at 9 am the day of departure? Assuming we actually have the time to kill, we're going to kill some of it by taking a city bus to Jackson Heights and the F train to Carroll Street, but that only kills 60-90 minutes, and we'll be loaded down with luggage.

Also on Van Brunt street, closer to the cruise terminal, is Baked, a bakery and cafe of some renown.

[abefroman329]

Also on Van Brunt street, closer to the cruise terminal, is Baked, a bakery and cafe of some renown.

 

Thanks, also very helpful.

[abefroman329]

Since you are arriving in New York on the day of departure I can only hope that your flight does indeed go as planned.

 

 

Nobody is telling you what to do but if you arrive at the Brooklyn terminal at 11 you now know what to expect. Cunard will not be allowed to start boarding passengers until US authorities give the go ahead. And US authorities won't give that go ahead until all disembarking passengers are off the ship.

 

I'm not really sure what prompted this. Countless people have stated not to show up early to the terminal, yet this assumes I have somewhere else to wait (a hotel room, a friend's home, etc.). I'm seeking suggestions on where to go to wait if I don't have anywhere else to wait besides the cruise terminal, not an endorsement of our plan to arrive in NYC the morning of the cruise.

[frankp01]

Here's a story from the Times, on eating and drinking in Red Hook. Granted, it dates from right after Sandy, but most of these places are still around. It gives you the flavor of the 'hood, in any case.

 

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/03/27/dining/eating-and-drinking-red-hook-brooklyn.html

 

 

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[Post Captain]

On my "dry run" over to Red Hook on the ferry from Wall Street a couple of months ago, I strolled down Van Brunt Street to the Fairway Market (and beyond). I was quite surprised at how gentrified the neighborhood has become in just the past few years, with a number of restaurants, galleries, and boutique-y shops along Van Brunt Street.

 

If you can drop your luggage at the terminal so as to be unencumbered, and if the weather is good, you will find it a pleasant walk and a not uninteresting way to pass some time.

 

https://goo.gl/maps/WKAraPsokfS2

[BlueRiband]

I'm not really sure what prompted this. Countless people have stated not to show up early to the terminal, yet this assumes I have somewhere else to wait (a hotel room, a friend's home, etc.). I'm seeking suggestions on where to go to wait if I don't have anywhere else to wait besides the cruise terminal, not an endorsement of our plan to arrive in NYC the morning of the cruise.

 

I too am disappointed of the turn this thread has taken. The original question wasn't unusual - somebody gets a late boarding time but would like to be on the ship earlier. In a perfect world everyone who wanted to board at 11 would be able to do so. In post #3 I gave what I thought was an accurate observation of my last experience.

 

In the recent past the entire ship would have been cleared by 10 or 10:30. Now it's taking much longer. You have disembarking passengers who post to ask what time they should schedule their car. What should they be told? 10:30? 11? Later?

 

 

There are many passengers in your situation. They arrive on an early flight and have no place to go except straight to the cruise terminal. If they were the only arrivals it would not be a problem. Unfortunately an increasing number of passengers are arriving early just because they want to. Now add that to the delays in disembarkation and the two groups overwhelm the local roads.

 

 

So I gave the OP what I thought was a logical and well referenced answer. Perhaps not.